Can-transferring device



N. H. FooKS.

CAN TRANSFERRING DEVICE.

APPLlcATmN FILED mac. la, 1920.

1,402, 488 Patented Jai1.3,'1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. l

ulr- -1 annuals:

N. H. FOOKS. GAN TRANSF'ERRING nEvlcE.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 1B, 1920.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 j 25 31mg@ ./ljaz. folS UNITED STA-rss PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON H. FOOKS, 0F PRESTON, MARYLAND.

CAN-TRANSFERRING DEVICE.

tains to make and use the same.

This inventionrelates to improvements in 7 can transferring means adapted to be uti'- lized in connection with an apparatus pltented to me in UnitedStates Patent A1,354,962, dated October 7th, 1920.

- It is an'ob1ec't of the-invention to transfer vcans or similar objects from a ,conveyer von one side of a partition to a conveyer on.l the other side thereof. without danger of obstructing the movements ofthe objects l-during the transfer.

In said prior patent there is disclosed a retort or fluid tight containerdivided into' 'two chambers by a transverseA partition, said partition having an opening in its upper portion affording communication between having flights or ribs parallel with the axis of revolution, said ribs forming guideways between them, which cooperate with a spiral guide surrounding said racks concentrically in order to transfer cans through.

each compartment serially in a spiral path, the spiral guide serving to move the' cans continuously endwise between the ribs or flights.

In said prior apparatus the .adjacent ends of the concentric racks terminate close to the transverse partition, and a fixed cam or crossover, constituting a part of the spiral guide, shifts the cans 'endwise lwhen they reach a position opposite the opening in said partition. In said apparatus there is shown a gap between the ends of the flights of the separate racks across which it is necessary to push the cans. The usualcans'for containing foods have a circumferential ridge where the heads join the bodies and these ridges are likely to engage or drop into the" Specification of Letters Patent.

thereof, j In the accompanying drawin ls:

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

Application 1ed December 18, 1920. Serial No. 451,681.

iights being slightly distorted or misplaced and danger thata can may come in contact with said displaced portions and jam in the mechanism.

In the invention to which this application relates, a smooth floor, composed preferably -of-a plate, curved, substantially on the same arc as the peripheries of the racks, is interposed between the end of the racks and ex tends through the opening in the partition, presenting a smooth surface on which the cans may be pushed endwise from one rack to anotherthrough said opening.-

Furthermore, -thereceiving ends of the vribs vor flights in a receiving chamber are beveled, the bevels inclining from the outer vedge/of the ribsor iiights to the inner edges Figure lis. a section on' the irregular line 1-1 of Figure 2, showing my improvement;

Figure 2 'is a section substantially on the line' 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the axis of an apparatus illustrating the position of the transfer floor;

Figure 4 'is a sectionsimilarto Figure 3 illustrating the curved floor or transfer floor of modified construction;` f

Figurel 5 v is a diagram illustrating a fragment of the essential parts of my improvement developed in a plane; y

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective of a fragment -viewed diagonally from the lefty of Figure 1.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the cylindiical shell of a container such as a resame curvature as the upper edge P2- of(said -partition P. Secured to the spiders 27--27a are angle bars, one flange 23-23a of each vangle bar extending radially parallel with the axis of shaft 24, and the other flange 23 or 23" extending at right angles to the radial flange. The iiaii'ges 23-23 of said angle bars serve as ribs or flights and receive between them cans or other objects to be treated, while the flanges 23-23 prevent the objects from falling through the rack, and serve as supporting surfaces. The two racks arranged end to end on the common shaft 24 are thus provided with peripheral longitudinal guideways., the guideways of one conveyer extending in alinement with those of the others.

Surrounding the said racks in each compartment and spaced from the ribs or flights is a spiral pathway formed by T-irons 21--21EL rigidly secured to the wall of the retort and appropriately spaced from the said flights. Cans or other objects lyingbetween the flights are forced to travel endwise along the racks when said racks rotate within said spiral guide, said racks and spiral guide acting in the manner of a screw and nut to cause objects resting between the ribs or flights to travel in a spiral path through the said chambers.

The turns of the spiral guides 21-21 a are so positioned with respect to the partition P that when a lcan has travelled through the chamber H to the partition it is in position to be shifted through the opening P into the adjacent chamber C in 'order that it may be moved spirally through the latter. In order to shift the cans from one rack to the other, it is necessary to move the cans endwise a distance equal to the space between two turns of the guides 21--21a within a distance equal to the circumferential extent of the opening in the partition. In order to cause'the cans to move endwise as they reach the opening, a cam or crossover device S is fixed with respect to said guides 21--21a. This crossover may be, as shown, a channel iron secured to said spiral guide members and so constructed and arranged as to shunt the cans from the delivering end of one rack in one chamber to the receiving end of the rack in the other chamber, the'side'flanges of said device S merging at each end, respectively, with the transverse flange of the 'guides 2l-21a.

In order to prevent the 'cans from beingl obstructed in the course of their passage' across the partition P, a smooth, curved plate 80 is provided, on and over which, as on a floor, the cans are pushed endwise by the fixed cam or crossover device S. This plate is fixed in any suitable manner to the partitionP and it is preferred that said plate extend circumferentially in the form of a complete cylinder on each side of said partition so that the objects in the guideways cannot fall within the conveying'racksf. The said curved floor may be made of an lintegral plate of metal having alined kerfs 81 cut in from each end of a width equal to the width of the partition P leaving an undivided portion between the ends of said kerfs, said unbroken portion being of a length substantially equal to that of the curved portion of the edge P2 of the partition. The said plate may be attached to the partition with the undivided portion fitted snugly upon the curved `upper edge P2 of said partition and the parts that are separated by the kerfs curved into cylindrical form until their ends meet. The curved plate 80 may be secured to the partition by welding or otherwise. In the drawings I have indicated pieces of bar iron 82 formed into rings, said bar iron be- 'ing riveted or otherwise secured to the partition P and serving as stiffening devices for the said curved plate 80 and means whereby it may be securely attached to said partition. f

In order to provide room for the said curved plate or flooring, the spiders 27, 27'al are spaced from the. partition and the flanges 23', 23a of the angle bars lying between the ribs 23, 23l are eut awayon each side of the central partition. The space that would be otherwise occupied by said flanges 23', 23a is filled by the said curved plate 80. It is preferred to construct and `dispose said plate 80 so that the edge onto which a can is pushed in approaching the openinof of the partition is slightly nearer the axis of the racks than is the end'of the flange 23 in juxtaposition therewith, in order that it may present no obstruction to the corner of a can as it moves endwise onto s aid plate; and it is preferred that the delivery. side of said plate 80 shall be correspondingly higher than the receiving end of .the flange 23a on the receiving rack.` This may be accomplished either by depressing the receiving edge of the floor plate 80 and elevating its discharge edge, as illustrated, or by correspondingly elevating and depressing the ends of the flanges 23 and v 23a of the discharging and receiving racks respectively.

In order that objects may not fall or be pushed through or into the conveyer racks where the en 23 and 23a have been removed, it is necessary that the floor 80 should extend circums of the intermediate'flanges ferentially to points lower than the hori- 1 -zontal plane of the axis of the conveyer racks: Below that plane gravitative and centrifugal force tend to keep the objects against the spiral guides 21, 21a. But for the purpose of producing a strong construction and insuring that the objects cannot get inside the racks'I prefer to form the member 80 as a cylinder.

Cutting away of theends of the flanges 23"-, 23a of the angle bars constituting the guideways for the cans on the rotary racks eaves the ribs 23 and 23a unsupported at the ends adjacent the partition and sub- 25 partment to another. The said curved plate t and. so jam and interfere with the properoperation o fgthe machine. lIn order to avoid danger of the canfcatching on thev ends ofthe ribs on the receivingracks as v the can is shifted endwise through the open-V ing in the partition,'the ends ofv said re# ceiving 1 ribs are beveled or inclined from the' outer tothe inner edges toward the partition as indicated at 83. Asi a result of warping lof the ribs- `or disalinement wlthrespect to the delivering and receiving ends, thebeveled ends 83 of the receiving ribs 23 will engage the shifting canj and allow it to rideslight1y upward on it, speedi1y adjusting the can to the proper position be` tween the ribs.

plate as it isbeing shifted from one comel may be made much4 narrower, if desired,

extending say an inch on each side-of .the

partition P as indicated at 80a in' Figure 4. The relative ositions of the discharge and'receiving en s 'of the flanges 23', 23a

in this' form of the invention should be the same as in the form in which the broad late80 is used. When the .plate o'r transer floor is narrow there isless likelihood of displacement of the ends of the ribs 23,'

' to which it appertains to make and use the same what I claim and desire to secure by Letters APatent of the United States is:

1. In mechanism of the class described, a

v partition, conveyers u on opposite sides of said partition adapte to move in unison arallel with said partition', said conveyers having parallel ribs and supporting surfaces between themconstituting object guideways, the ends of said ribs adjacent the lpartition projecting beyond saidsupporting surfaces,

the guideways of one conveyer being 4inalinement with corresponding guideways in the other, a ioor member fixed with respect tition to the artition and extending over said pareneath the projecting ends' of said ribs so as to support objects movingfrom one lconveyer to the other, and means adapted to transfer an object from a guideway in one conveyer toa guideway in the other over said floor-memben:

2. In mechanism of the class described, al

partition, rotary conveyers adapted to move in'unison on opposite sldes of said partltion, each conveyer having parallel ribs and supporting surfaces between them constitut-V o the partition, a' curved floor member extend- .this construction, if there is any slight\ing on opposite sides of said partition beneath the 'projecting ends of said ribs, and means for engaging an object in the guideway of oneconveyer and moving it endwise over saidoor member from one conveyer to the other. o 1

. 3. Inmechanism of the class described, a

. partition, rotary conveyers moving in uni- In the form shown inFigure lythe plate lor curved ioor 8O is of a width adapted to`allow the can to. rest whollypupon said,"

vvbetween them constituting object guideways,

son on opposite sidesof said partltion in a Adirection parallel therewith, said conveyers the. ends of said ribs adjacent said partition extending beyond said supporting surfaces,

anda curved floor member projecting on opposite sides of said artition beneath the endsof said ribs, sai flooring `extending around on each side of the axis vof -the conveyers to points below the horizontal plane of said axis. o'

4. In mechanism ofthe class described, a partition, rotary conveyers movable in unison on opposite sides of said artition in directions parallel therewith, saldconve-yers having) parallel ribs and supporting surfaces etween them constituting guideways, the guideways of one conveyer being in alinement with the `guideways of the other, the ends of the` ribs adjacent the partition extending beyond said surfaces, an approximately cylindrical member concentric with said conveyers xed with respect to said partition and extending beneath the projecting ends of said ribs, and means for engaging an object and transferring it over said cylinvdrica member from one conveyer to the other.' across said partition on said cylindrical member.:

alinement with the guideways of the other,

5. In mechanismI ofthe class described, a

partition, conveyers on opposite sides of said partition adapted to vmove in unison in directions parallel therewith, said conveyers having ribs and intermediate supporting surfaces constituting guideways, Athe guideways of one conveyer being in alinement with' the guideways of the other, the ends of the ribs adjacent the partition projecting beyond said supporting' surfaces, a floor member fixed with respect to said partition and extendingon opposite sides thereof be- 'the latter.

6. In mechanism of the class described, a partition, conveyers upon opposite sides of said partition vadapted to move in unison and parallel with said partition, parallel guide ribs on said conveyers, the ribs of one conveyer being `substantially in alinement with the ribs of the other, means for transferring an object from one conveyer to the other across said partition, the ends of the ribs on the receiving conveyer being inclined from their outer edges toward the partition.

7 In can conveying mechanism7 two sepat 'v rated but adjacent can supportlng means each having a guideway consisting of par-V allel ribs and anintermediate supporting -su-rface, the guideway of one supporting means being 1n alinementwith the guid'eway of the other, the ribs of one guideway having the ends adjacent to the other guideway inclined from their outer edgestoward the adjacent guideway.

In testimony whereof I' aix my signature.

TNELSON H. FOOKS. 

